CliffsNotes from Class

This is the book we are using in Beekeeping 101 this year.

First Lessons in Beekeeping is a great book - very easy to read with many awesome colored pictures that help tell the story.  A very good resource for any beekeeper to share or keep for your own library.

I wrote down some intresting notes from last weeks class and wanted to share a few of them with you. 

• The one that I was most fascinated with is that when the bees are really agitated and worked up the scent of the pheromones they are fanning about smells like bananas!  Now there were a few times last year when we were working our hives that we knew it was time to close up and get out of there - but we never smelled bananas!  Probably a good thing!
• Some newer research studies show that honeybees are attracted to plants that produce nicotine (tobacco) and caffeine!
• On the days our state inspector wants to keep his smoker lit all day he will use  wood heater pellets,  packs them very tightly and it will still be burning at the end of the day.
• It is probably best not to put your smoker between your knees when checking your hives!
• One man knew of 2 people who lost their trucks because their smoker was out of control, and one person who lost his honey house.  Very sad.
• Even though the cluster of bees inside the hive stays around 90 degrees, the outside of the hive is just as cold as the temperature outside.
• The inside of a healthy honeybee hive is one of the closest things to a sterile and sanitary environment you will ever find in nature.

These are just a few of the things I found most interesting.  I am really curious to know if anybody out there has ever smelled bananas when working with your bees?!